Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Four familiar faces will be taking over the third hour of theTodayshow followingMegyn Kelly‘s exit.
“Hope you don’t mind these faces! You’ll be seeing a lot of them at 9am,” Dreyer captioned a smiling photo — shared Jan. 7 on Twitter — of the group, which has been holding down Kelly’s former time slot. “Please join us!”
She added the hashtags: “#3rdhourtoday #youvegotafriendinus #letthegoodtimesroll @TODAYshow @SheinelleJones @craigmelvin @alroker.”
On Friday, Kelly — sheleft Foxfor NBC in January 2017 and signed a three-year,$23 million-a-year contract— finalized her departure from the network.
“The contract will be paid out, about $25-$30 million dollars,” a source with knowledge of the situation tells PEOPLE.
According to the insider, Kelly doesn’t have a non-compete agreement with NBC, but she had to sign a confidentiality agreement featuring the same language in her original employee contract.
“The deal wasn’t signed until the last minute,” the source adds.
Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker and Craig Melvin.Jamie McCarthy/Getty
A second source says that Kelly, 48, is “the one who has been holding off on signing. She was holding out because she didn’t like the NDA. There’s an NDA. Its’ standard. But she didn’t want to sign it. They’re very, very common. And she’s getting paid a lot. It’s the rest of the contract — roughly $30 million.”
At the end of October, NBC confirmed reports that Kelly’s 9 a.m.Todayshow hour wascanceledamid immense backlash for her controversial remarks about blackface.
“Megyn Kelly Todayis not returning,” an NBC spokesperson told PEOPLE asTodayanchors Melvin,Hoda Kotband Roker replaced Kelly’s spot.
Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
“I defended the idea, saying as long as it was respectful and part of a Halloween costume, it seemed okay. Well I am wrong and I am sorry,” she said.
She added: “I have never been a PC kind of person. But I do understand the value in being sensitive to our history, particularly on race and ethnicity. This past year has been painful for many people of color. The country feels so divided and I have no wish to add to that pain and offense. I believe this is a time for more understanding, more love, more sensitivity and honor. I want to be part of that. Thank you for listening and for helping me listen too.”
Looking ahead following her time at the peacock network, Kelly is ready to get back to work — and soon.
“She’s looking forward to her next chapter,” a friend of Kelly tells PEOPLE. “She was an employee of NBC, so she wasn’t exploring other career opportunities yet. She was skiing with her family over the holidays and looked really happy.”
“She’s expected to be back in action soon,” says the friend. “She will work again.”
source: people.com
